Signal-lamp.



E. E. B. ROEDDING.

SIGNAL LAMP, yAFPLIGATIOII FILED DEC. 2|. I9l4.

1,248,719. Patented Dec. 4,1917;.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l- G'. E. 6L E. B. ROEDDING.

w smNAL LAMP. .PPLICATION FILED DEC.21. 19H.

Patented Dec. 4, 1917.

G. E@ L E. B. Romulus.. 1 SIGNAL LAMP. u APPLICATION FILED DEC- 21. IQI 1,248,719, Patented Dee. 4,1917;

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

To all whom it may concern."

Be it known that we, GORDON E. ROEDDING and EDWARD B. RoEDmNG, citizens of the UnitedStates of America, residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented certaln new and useful Improvements in Signal-Lamps, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanyin drawings.

This invention relates to signal devices particularly adapted for use upon motor vehicles. to indicate the intentions of the driver to those following, and its object is to provide a simple, compact and eiiiclent electrically operated device for the purpose of having certain new and useful features 1n the construction and arrangement of parts,

i all as hereinafter more fully described and particular? e pointed out in the appended claims, re rence being had to the accompanying drawings in which t Figure 1 is a longitudinal horizontal section through a device embodylng the invention- Fig. 2 is a longitudinal ,vertical section through the saine;

Figs. 3 and 4 are left and right hand end elevations respectively of the same wlth the casing end caps removed;

Fig. 5 is an end elevation of a supportmg frame;

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the same;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a bearlng bracket;

Fig. 8 is a side elevation-of a motor arma-l ture and shaft upon which it is mounted;

Fig. 9 is 'a detail showing in side elevation a lamp bracket and means for securlng the lamp in place thereon;

Fig. 10 is a transversesectional detail of the same;

Fig. 1l is fastener;

12 is a sectional detail of an electron magnetic stopping device;

Fig. 13 .is a detail development of a. rotatable indicating cylinder;

Fig.` 141 is a perspetcive det..il of a spi-wy for one end of said cylinder;

Fig. 15 is a perspective View of the coma perspectiverdetail of a lamp g plete device; and

Fig. 1G is a wiring diagram ln le drawings, l indicates a sultable casingvl'lich is preferably cylindrical inform and is provided at one side with sultable Specification of Letters Patent Patented Dec. 4, 1917.

Application kd December 21, 1914. Serial No. 878,254.

means such as a clip 2 for rigidly securing the casing Vto any suitable supporting bracket, and at its opposite side said casing is formed with an opening closed by glass or other transparency to forni a Window through which a series of Words or other signal markings 3 may be seen upon a rotatable drum 4. The ends of the casing are closed caps 5 each provided With abullseye, the cap Which-is adjacent the cable outlet 6 on the casing being preferably made readily detachable so that access may be had to the interior of the casing by' removing it.

The several indicating words 3, such as stop, right7 and left on the drum 4.- are preferably made transparent so that they may be illuminated by a light within the casing and a portion indicated at 7 is colored to provide a ruby light serving the purpose of the tail lamp usually provided upon vehicles` The ,letters of the Yseveral words are preferably white in color and the body or background is preferably black and opaque so that the Words may be clearly distinguished inthe day time and the letters and ruby portion only will be illuminated at night.

Rigidly secured within each end of the casing 1 is a spider 8 and these spiders form rigid supports for a fixed supporting frame 9 having arms forming hangers l0 each provided with an outwardly extending stud 11 to engage an opening in cach spider at the longitudinal axis of the casing 1 and drum or cylinder 4. The openings in the spider are elongated and the studs on the frame are formed to lit within said openings and thus rigidly support the frame against turning within the drum and casing. Each stud'll is also formed adjacent itshanger 10 to provide trunnion bearing upon which end spiders l2 and 13, rigidly secured in the ends of the druln freely. The supporting frame 9 is thus rigidly supported within the drum l which is free to rotate about it upon an axis coincident with the axis of the casing.

The portion of `the frame 9 which is between the hangers l0, extends longituflinally of tho drum adjacent the lower side thereof and forms a bed plate upon which is xn0unted a suitable electric motor 14 comprising a supporting ring 15 for the field coils 16, which ring may be an integral part of the frame as shown or vmay be secured thereto in any suitable manner, and an 4, are mountedto turnd armature 17 is permit the electric -wires (not shown) leadturning of the drum.

ing to the motor and other devices hereinafter to be described as carried by the frame, to pass out of the revoluble drum 4 at the axis thereof without .interfering with the -When current is assed through the motor, its armature and-tliie shaft 19 upon which it is secured will be turned tion or back to normal position after being turned by the motor, a coiled spring 22 is jsleeved upon the shaft with ,one end` sec'red thereto and its opposite end anchored to 'any convenient stationary part. An arm 23 'on the shaft extends laterally therefrom and is made fast at `its outer end to the spider 12 of the drum 4 so that when the shaft is turned, the drum will turn with it, and this arm normally engages a projection or vside of the bed of the frame 9 which forms a stop 24 to' limit the turning movement of 'the shaft in one direction, the spring 22 normally holding the shaft turned with said arm against said stop and in which p osition of the drum, its red transparent part 7 is opposite the window in the front of the casin l In order to stop the drum 4 when rotated by the motor, with any desired signal word opposite the window and thus indicatethe intentionr of the driver of the vehicle to those following, a Aseries of electrically operated stop devices, corresponding in number to the number of signal words on the drum, are provided, each device comprising an'electro-magnet 25 mounted upon the bed 9 transversely thereof beneath the shaft 19 and provided with an armature bar 26 which is pivoted at o'ne end to the base and extends upward past the" end of the magnetic coil with its upper end adjacent the shaft Each bar 26 has an opening 27 opposite the shaft to be engaged by a pin 28 projecting laterally from the shaft. Each of these pins is soset relative to its corresponding Word 3 on thedrnm 4, that when the drum isstoppedin its rotation by the engagement.

of a pin withfanopening in the opposed armature, its correspondingsignal Word will be displayed through the window of the casy ing. The several armatures 26are normally held by springs 29 see Fig. 12) turned upon their pivots pins, stops #opening in the armature in one direction,4 and to turn 'the shaftin an opposite direc- .through of pins 37on the lamp base. portion of the metal from the opening is struck downward out of the path of travel of` the 30 being provided to limitlthe- .swing of said armatures, away vfrom their' magnets, but when a current is passed through a coil, its armature will be swung against the action of its spring 29 toward the shaft to aposition where the corresponding stop pin on the shaft will engage the bar and positively stopv the shaft from further turning in that direction. As long asisaid electro-magnet is energized, the drum will be-positively held in the'position to which it is turned, but upon breaking of the electric circuit of the magnet, said magnet will be denergized and the spring 29 willact to throw the armatureout of engagement with the pin and permit the spring 22 toA turn the shaft back to normal position with the red signal transpareneyof the drum opposite the easing Window.

If found desirable, a persistance coil 3lv may also be mounted upon the bed 9, this coilbeing connected in series with the motor to prevent the burning out of the motor due toexccssivo voltage, anda suitable insulated mounting or seat 32 for a lamp 33 is also preferably provided on the bed inter mediate its ends. In order that the lamp may be readily inserted or removed and may be firmly held to its seat when in place thereon to. make electrical connection be tween its contacts and contacts provided on said seat, a holder 34 (see Fig. 11) is provided comprising a member formed of sheet metal with an opening 35 therein to receive the base of the' lamp, said opening having notches 36 to permit the .passage thereto form arms, 38, each of which has a notch 39 in its lower end to be engaged by the pins 37 after the lamp hase has been inserted and `turned to bring said pins into engagement with the arms.v The lamp will thus be detachably held by the holder so that the operator, by grasping ioo an extended handle-portion 40, may insertli the lamp through the spiders 8 and 13 aflter removing the detachable end cap from the casing and-place the lamp upon its seat.

To' hold the lamp in place with a strong sprngpressure which will insurel a good contact, lthe holder is formedf'with a prong or bayonet'41 extending in a direction. opposite tothat of the on the mounting 32'is'provided with-an opening 43 7) 4is Aprovided on the bearin bracket 20, and after the bayonet end o f t e holder has been inserted in the opening of the arm 42, handle is pressed downward and its end engaged beneath the arm. in a notch 45 therein. The flexnre ofi the holder 'thus holdsvthe lamp firmly and yieldingly in engagement with the contacts on its seat and it handle 40, and an arm 42 (see Fig. 9)l to receive the bayo-. net. A laterally extending arm 44 (see Fig.

i lamp Within its serves as a tool by means of which the lamp may be quickly inserted in the casing through the limited oi'ienings between the arms of the spiders.

In the diagram shown in Fig. 16, the sev* eral electro-magnets 25 are connected in multiple with the motor and each circuit, Within which isincludcd a battery indicated at 46 and'the'resistance coil 3l, is controlled by a -suitable' switch which may be a single device as indicated at 47 having a pair of contacts for each circuit, which contacts may be brought into electrical connection in any suitable manner to close their circuit.

When the driver desires to make it known that ha intends to turn to the right, to the left, or to stop; he will, by means of the switch infiltrated' at 4:7, close the circuit of the particular electro-lmagnet Which is :1r-

ranged to stop the drum in a portion to display the desired Word, and the closing of the circuit :simultaneously cnergizes the motor to turn the sli-aft and drum. The driver may thus signal his intentions to others by simply operating button which may be placed upon the steering wheel, or in any other convenient place upon the vehicle, and .it obvious that the device may be provided with other indicating Words or signs to be displayed in a like man ner. A separate circuit (not sho-Wn) is provided for the lamp 33 inthe usual manner so that 1t maybe turned on or oil as desired, and this device by reason ci the arrangement of the casing and the ruby Aportion of the drum which is normally opposite the window, serves the purpose of a tail lamp as well as a signal device. The particular arrangement of the motor directly connected to the drum shaft, simplifies and greatly cheapens the construction` and the arrangement of the stop devices to act directly upon the shaft also simplifies construction and makes the saine positive and cflicient in its operation.

bviously changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts Withoutdeparting from the spirit. of our invention and We do not therefore limit ourselves to the shown.

What We claim is 1. In a signal device, the combination of a casing,.a rotatable. drinn in the casing, a shaft in the axis of the drum, a fixed support extending through the drum at one side of the shaft` an electric motor comprising a lield carried by the support and an armature on the shaft to rotate the drum` a series of stops on' the shaft, und a sci-ies of electrically operated devices on the support arranged along the shaft Within the drum to engage the stops.

2. In a signal device of the character departicular "forni or arrangement (i scribed.Y the combination of a fixed cylindrical casing, a rotatable. druiri Within the casing, a shaft iii the axis of the drum for turning the same, supliorts in the ends of the casing for the shaft and drum, a fixed supporting member carried by the supports and extending longitudinally the length of the drum at one side of the shaft, anelectric motor comprising field coils carried by the supporting. member and an armature fixed on the shaft, a lamp bracket en the supporting member intermediate the ends of the drum, a series of stops on the shaft, a series of electroinagnets on the supporting meinber arranged transversely of the shaft, a series of members pivotally connected to the supporting member and operated by said electromagnets to engage the stops on" the shaft, 'and means insertible through the ends of the casing for securing the lamp upon the lamp bracket.

3. In a signal device of the character described, the combination of a casing having an opening, a rotatable drum in the casing having indicating markings, means for rototing the drum, a fixed support in the drum, a lamp bracket on the support, and means for detachably securing a lamp upon the bracket comprising a holder for the lamp having an extended handle portion by means of which the lamp may be inserted through the end of the casing, said holder being also provided with means for detachably connecting the holder to the bracket.

In a signal device of the character describe the combination of a casing having an opening, a rotatable drum lin the casing having a series of indicating markings, a fixed support Within the drum, a lamp bracket on the support provided with contacts and forming a sea-t .for a lamp, a lamp holder having an opening to receive a lamp and provided With an extended yieldable handle portion, and means for engaging the holder and its handle portion to yieldingly hold a lamp to its seat on the bracket.

5. In a signal device of the character described, the combination of acasing having an opening, a rotatable drum in the casing having a series of indicating markings, a fixed support -Within the drum, a lamp bracket upon the support, a lamp holder formed of sheet metal with :in opening to receive a lamp and an extended yieldable handle portion, means on the bracket to engage the holder at one side of the lamp, and means on the support to engage the handle portion near its free end at the opposite'side of the lamp, whereby the lamp is held in yielding contact with its seat on the bracket.'

6. In a signal device ofthe character described, the combination of'a casing having an opening, a rotatable drum in the casing, a. supporting spider on each end of the casing having an opening at the axis 'of the easing, a. frame h .ving trunnions to engage the openingshspiders for the ends of the drum rotatable upon said trunnions, a motor within thed1jur'n for turning the same, a. lamp bracket ,on the frame within the drum intermediate the ends thereof, and a lamp holder having an opening to receive a lamp and rovided with an extended yieldable hand e portion adapted to extend to 4neer one end of the drum when the holder is in operative position. e

7.- In a device of the character described,

the combination of a easing having' an enl4 trance opening giving access to the interior thereof, slgna ing means Wlthin the casing,

a means Within the casing for operating the signaling means, a lamp bracket Within the' 'casing at a distance from said, entrance opening, and means for detachably securing e lamp upon seid bracket lcomprising a holder for the lamp having a portion adapted to extend from the bracket =to a point adjacent the entrance opening When the holder is in operative position and by means of which portion the lamp may be inserted through' the entrance opening.

In testimony whereof we leix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

GORDON E. ROEDDING. EDWARD B. ROEDDING. Witnesses:

LEWIS E. FLANDERS, ANNA M. Donn. 

